AP United States Government & Politics Complete Study Guide Flashcards

Comprehensive flashcards covering key terms, historical context, for units 1 through 5 of the AP U.S. Government & Politics curriculum.

Locke

Enlightenment philosopher who advocated for natural rights (life, liberty, property) and the right to revolution, directly influencing the Declaration of Independence.

Montesquieu

Philosopher who proposed the separation of powers into three branches and the system of checks and balances, which shaped the U.S. Constitution.

Articles of Confederation

The first U.S. government framework that failed due to weaknesses like the lack of power to tax, no executive branch, no national court, and requiring a unanimous vote to amend.

Shays' Rebellion (1786–87)

An uprising of over $1,000$ farmers attacking a federal arsenal that proved the Articles of Confederation were fatally weak and led to the Constitutional Convention.

Great Compromise

Agreement establishing a bicameral legislature with a population-based House of Representatives and a Senate with $2$ members per state.

Three-Fifths Compromise

Agreement that enslaved people would count as $\frac{3}{5}$ for House apportionment only, not for voting rights.

Participatory Democracy

A form of democracy focused on broad, direct citizen involvement at all levels of government.

Pluralist Democracy

A model of democracy where power is dispersed among many competing interest groups that advance policy.

Elite Democracy

A model of democracy where power is concentrated among the educated and wealthy, discouraging mass participation.

Delegated (enumerated) Powers

Powers granted only to the federal government, such as printing money, declaring war, and regulating interstate commerce.

Reserved Powers

Powers held by the states under the 10th Amendment, including education, marriage law, and police power.

Categorical Grants

Federal grants with strict rules on how money is spent, favored by those seeking federal control; examples include Head Start and highway funds.

Block Grants

Federal funds that allow states to decide how to spend within a broad area, favored by states' rights advocates; an example is TANF welfare funds.

Rules Committee

A House-only committee that sets strict debate terms and rules for amendments on bills.

Filibuster

A Senate delay tactic involving an extended speech or procedural objection to block legislation.

Cloture

The only way to end a filibuster, requiring a vote by $60$ out of $100$ senators.

Pocket Veto

Occurs when a president does nothing for $10\text{ days}$ and Congress adjourns; it kills the bill and cannot be overridden.

Iron Triangle

An informal alliance between a congressional committee, a federal regulatory agency, and industry lobbyists that creates self-reinforcing policy networks.

Executive Orders

Presidential directives that have the force of law and bypass Congress, though they are not in the Constitution and can be reversed by successors.

War Powers Act (1973)

A law requiring the president to notify Congress within $48\text{ hours}$ of troop deployment and limiting action to $60\text{ days}$ plus a $30\text{ day}$ withdrawal period without approval.

Judicial Review

The power of the Supreme Court to strike down unconstitutional laws, established by Marshall in Marbury v. Madison (1803).

Judicial Restraint

A philosophy where judges defer to elected branches, hesitate to overturn laws, and interpret the Constitution based on original intent.

Judicial Activism

A philosophy where judges interpret the Constitution broadly to reflect evolving values and are willing to overturn legislature.

Civil Liberties

Protections from the government (what it cannot do to you), founded in the Bill of Rights.

Civil Rights

Protections from discrimination (what the government must ensure), founded in the 14th Amendment and legislation.

Selective Incorporation

The case-by-case application of the Bill of Rights to the states using the 14th Amendment's due process clause.

Clear and Present Danger Test

Established in Schenck (1919), it states that speech posing an immediate threat to national security is not protected.

Prior Restraint

The government's attempt to censor publication before it is printed; the Supreme Court established a "heavy presumption" against it in NY Times v. US (1971).

Establishment Clause

A 1st Amendment provision preventing the government from establishing a state religion; used in Engel v. Vitale to rule school-sponsored prayer unconstitutional.

Exclusionary Rule

A legal rule that bars illegally obtained evidence from being used in a trial under the 4th Amendment.

Political Socialization

The process by which individuals develop their political beliefs, with family being the strongest single factor.

Benchmark Poll

A poll taken at the beginning of a campaign to establish baseline data for measuring progress.

Exit Poll

A poll of voters leaving polling places on Election Day used to predict results before official counts.

Realignment

A long-term shift in party coalitions usually signaled by a critical election, such as the New Deal in 1932.

PAC (Political Action Committee)

An organization created by FECA that can donate up to $5,000$ directly to candidates and must disclose donors.

Super PAC

An organization created after Citizens United that can raise and spend unlimited amounts on independent expenditures but cannot coordinate with candidates.

Rational Choice Voting

A model of voting behavior where an individual votes based on their own self-interest and who benefits them most.